Browsing by Author "Asma Muhammad Uthman El-Muhammady, Ph.D"

This research explores the core teachings and practices of the Tijaniyyah Sufi order as contained in al-Mafahim al-Tijaniyyah of Shaykh Muhammad Awwal Otolorin, limited to Omupo, Kwara State, Nigeria. It examines the content of al- Mafahim al-Tijaniyyah concerning the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah, its historical context, doctrinal features, spiritual practices, and their impact on the Tijaniyyah community of Nigeria. The research also analyses the key themes contained in al- Mafahim al-Tijaniyyah, such as Salat al-fatil:, jawharat al-kamal, and al-istighathah to juxtapose its conformity or otherwise with the Qur'an and Sunnah. It elucidates how the Tijaniyyah practices, such as Mawlid Nabbiyyi, have shaped the religious, social, economic, and political lives of the Tijaniyyah adherents. In addition, the contentious debate between the protagonists and antagonists was examined through relevant literature that substantially reveals an age-long rivalry between the Tijani and non-Tijanis. The research utilises a qualitative analysis and structured interview to evaluate the collected data. It focuses on the unifying features and the possible problems caused by doctrinal differences. Additionally, the questions address the interactions between Tijani and non-Tijani Muslims, highlighting areas of both cooperation and conflict. Through a combination of content analysis and interviews, this research aims to comprehensively understand the Tijaniyyah Sufi order's role in shaping contemporary Islamic practices and interfaith dynamics in Omupo. The findings emphasize the Tijaniyyah Sufi order's role in supporting spiritual growth, communal cohesiveness, and cultural preservation, as well as the problems of maintaining doctrinal purity and building interfaith cooperation in a diverse religious society. The findings revealed that while the Tijaniyyah order has significantly contributed to Nigerian Muslim communities' spiritual and social fabric, it also faces challenges from doctrinal disputes and inter-group relations. This work enhances the scholarly discussion on Sufism in Nigeria by providing valuable observations on the dynamic interplay between religious heritage and contemporary practices.

This study sheds light on milestones of the thought and method of da’wah in Imam Mohammed Al-khalili’s correspondence. The study uses the inductive, historical, and analytic approaches in order to derive preaching contents and examines the most important features of the preaching thought and the Imam’s efforts in the educational, religious, moral and intellectual areas through analysis of correspondence. The study also undertakes an examination into the source of Da`wah that are the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Mohammed, in addition to ijtihad and experiences of reform leaders in order to deduce the Imam’s educational approach in faith and moral. This is achieved by looking at the practical aspects of the Islamic unity project, through its communication with scholars, leaders, kings, and leaders of reform in the Islamic world as well the Imam’s fatwas and with women’s issues. The most important outcome of the study is that it is able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the preaching approach of the Imam. The Imam’s approach appears to be relating to a religious reform, building humans who are able to contribute to civilization. The study proposes that it is crucial to explore and search for correspondence of Imam’s Al-khalili as many of them are still inaccessible because of being in private libraries.

This research aims to highlight and clarify the role of the culture of coexistence in protecting from the danger of religious extremism by reviving the system of coexisting values extracted from the covenant of Madinah and translating them into practical behavior, as they are final values that helped the Madinah society with its different beliefs and orientations achieve coexistence on the ground. To achieve the research objectives, the following approaches were used: the inductive approach, the descriptive-analytical approach, and the historical retrospective approach. The research reached several results, the most important of which are: First: By studying the causes of religious extremism, it was found that contemporary Muslim societies are not immune. They don’t have sufficient immunity to protect themselves from the threat of religious extremism. Second: The values laid down by the Madinah Document is enough to demonstrate the depth of Islam and that it is a mercy for mankind, and that it calls for coexistence, tolerance and cooperation. This confirms the importance of the global Islamic approach in building human relations on coexistence and positive, constructive interaction. Third: Humanity, within the framework of a single nation and belonging to it, is considered the basis and the foundation upon which coexistence is based, as it is the only one capable of accommodating everyone on their intellectual and religious differences etc. The Islamic experience in the Madinah state is the best example for us. Fourth: There is the possibility of protecting contemporary Muslim societies from the danger of religious extremism by activating the system of coexisting values extracted from the Madinah document and translating them into practical behavior, and if the coordination and integration processes between coexistence institutions succeed, we are building a coexisting loving society. Therefore, the researcher suggests encouraging all attempts to revive the right coexistence because there is another concept of coexistence that is intended to take its course in our contemporary reality-based on surrender and neglect of rights, sanctities and values.

This study aims to shed light on the position of modernist theological dogma about the creed system related to issues of “Samciyyāt”. It deals with the ontological view about the realities of the day of judgment, such as the resurrection, the account of deeds, the passing through the slippery path (sirāt), paradise, and hellfire, as well as other issues such as the torment of the grave, angels, and devils, in which it discusses the different views of modernists with an explanation of the criticism directed at them. However, since modernist thought is wide-ranging, and it is adopted by several thinkers, it became necessary for this study to be linked to selected models in the Arab world, to be closer to the truth. This study has adopted the inductive approach in tracing the texts of the modernists concerning the aspect of audiology by extrapolating their writings and searching for what they said about it. Also, this study relied on the analytical method in approaching their views and evaluating their proofs and evidence. Moreover, this study followed a critical method in critiquing the concept of modernity and the opinions that emerged from it, deconstructing and responding to it according to the scientific method and through rational and textual evidence. This study includes a definition of the key terms of the study, with an indication of the trends of modernism and exploring their theories on metaphysics and their techniques in understanding these metaphysical issues, such as historical and hermeneutical with an explanation of the criticism directed at these methods, as well as discussing their position on the day of judgment and its circumstances. This includes issues related to the resurrection, intersection of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), reward and punishment, the measuring of scale, the passing through the slippery path (sirāt), paradise and hellfire and countering all these claims. This study found a clear incoherence of modernist thinking in their discussion of the texts of revelation due to their ignorance of the fundamental principles of Shari’ah and the standard methodologies of scrutinizing texts. Not to mention their constant referral to applying tools of western stratagems to the texts, such as historical and hermeneutical approaches and its derivation on the theories of an infinity of meaning and the death of the author, and their attempt in the assumption of the western model of conflict between the churches and scientific revolution, which took on a new understanding of knowledge, that is an alien projection of the Islamic reality and its own temporal and spatial circumstance.